Don’t make fresh decisions every day, or keep meal choices totally open-ended all the time. Instead, make decisions in advance and work from a template.

Fit tip: Every few days, sketch out the meals you and your family will eat for the next few days. (Your child’s leftover chicken fingers shouldn’t be your dinner.) Check the list daily so you know:

what to buy at the grocery store;

what to pre-prep;

what meal you’ll eat at what time (or when you’re really hungry).

3. Keep chopped, ready-to-eat vegetables in the fridge.

Put them front-and-center so you see them and can get to them easily.

Fit tip: Pick one day (in my house it’s Sunday) where you wash, peel and chop all your veggies and store then in snack size containers for the week.

4. Keep a batch of cooked grains handy.

Whole grains take time to cook, but if you make a batch on Sunday, you’ll have it in the fridge to use in grain bowls, salads, or a side dish all week long. In my house we eat quinoa two-three times a week. A little sprinkle of olive oil, salt & pepper, and it makes a great base to seasonal roasted / sautéed veggies. Add diced avocado, your favorite lean protein and you have a quick super food dish.

Fit tip: Make two batches, and portion one out by the cupful to keep in containers in the freezer. Brown rice, or quinoa reheats nicely in the microwave.

5. Don’t be hungry and in the grocery store at the same time.

Treat grocery shopping like a surgical operation: Have a plan (like your meal list from Tip 2). Get in and get out as efficiently as possible—which I know can be challenging if you have a little ones in tow.

Fit tip: Focus on the perimeter — the produce and meat sections. Don’t even go down the processed food aisles, so you won’t be tempted, and your child doesn’t throw a tantrum because you passed the Oreos. Alternatively, sign-up for a grocery delivery service like Peapod.

6. Keep workout gear in your face.

Have a resistance band, a dumbbell or two, and a mat in your home or office so you’re more tempted to use them. I have a foam roller and a kettlebell laying out in my home office, and use them frequently because I see them out.

Fit tip: Do “trigger training”: Leave the gear in various places throughout your house, and whenever you pass one of them, do a few reps. Use your infant as a weight (see our Top Exercises for Babywearing Moms). Over the course of the day and week, all the reps will add up quickly without eating up too much time and you’ll feel motivated knowing you got something in.

Your workout bag should include everything you need for your workout—sneakers, water bottle, mat, headphones, towel, hairbands, etc. It makes it easier to get up for an early morning workout, or hit the gym at the end of the day when everything is prepped and ready to go.

Fit tip: Keep your workout bag by the door and grab it on the way out. Having your workout clothes out the night before will guarantee you have all the articles you need to complete your workout. If I neglect to do this, I often find myself fumbling around in the dark to find my gear. Not fun.

8. Schedule workouts like you schedule meetings.

Put them on your calendar and treat them like any other appointment.

Fit tip: Put workouts on your family calendar. It took my husband and I over two years after the boys were born to create a regular workout schedule for the two of us. We split the early weekday mornings between us, and negotiate when necessary to protect our precious workout time.

9. Move social gatherings to parks and gyms.

It doesn’t always have to be a bar or restaurant. Make your next date outside (power walk) or try out a new fitness boutique together (wall climbing, ariel yoga, pilates, etc).

Fit tip: This goes for professional networking, too. Instead of sitting down at a coffee shop, get coffee to go and have a walking meeting.

10. Turn family and friends into coaches.

To create a supportive environment, be explicit with loved ones that you’re trying to eat better and get fit — and why. They don’t have to participate, but ask them to help and support your goals. (Read how one AMC mom changed her husband’s habits.)

Fit tip: Involve your family in goal-related activities, such as menu planning, meal prep, and rep counting. Lead by example, your kids will love to do squats and eat veggies just like mom and dad.

By changing your environment you’ll be able to optimize opportunities to eat healthier and lead a more active lifestyle—and ultimately transform your body—no willpower required. Choose 3-4 strategies above and start 2018 on a healthy note. Be the change. Be the best version of you.

Lots of people benefit from extra guidance and support when they’re looking to improve their food choices and physical activity — and get the body they desire most. If that’s you, let Active Moms’ Club provide you guidance and support. Join us for prenatal or postnatal workouts.

I’m honored to share this guest blog from 8AMC alumni, Chris Beer. Chris was an active AMC mom when she was expecting her first child, and participated in our postnatal classes until she moved out of the city. Chris is sharing her story about an important topic – postpartum depression, to help bring awareness to this common condition. Feeling anxious, sad, angry, or guilty after your baby is born is not shameful. There is a wide spectrum of emotions from baby blues to postpartum depression. Know you are not alone, and there is help and ways to feel better. Thank you Chris for your honesty, courage, and strength to seek help and “kick PPD’s butt”! And thank you for sharing your story with AMC’s community. ~Cassandra

“You? But you always looked like you had it all together.”

This was the common refrain that I heard from family, friends and colleagues when I told them that I was being treated for postpartum depression (PPD). I can see how they perceived my life – someone who was “doing it all” by balancing a young family, a career and volunteer commitments. They couldn’t see that I spent most of my time quivering with fear and anxiety.

I did not experience PPD with my first child, so it was tough for me to identify my feelings of guilt, anxiety and anger as anything other than “typical new mom fatigue.”

However, after my second child was born, things were different. I couldn’t adjust to the rhythm of having two kids under two. I am a perfectionist, and beat myself up every time that one child was crying or upset. My PPD started out as anxiety during the day, and sleeplessness at night. My performance at work suffered, and that added to my worries. I hated every moment of the day…

…I yelled at my newborn daughter whenever she cried
…tears fell down my face during my exercise classes
…I couldn’t concentrate at work
…I spent most nights awake, shaking, in fear of starting a new day

I felt like I was on a treadmill that kept speeding up while my shoes were untied. I knew I was going to fall.

However, I felt tremendous shame in feeling anything but happiness. After all, what more could I want out of life? I had a loving husband, two healthy children, a wonderful home, a great job and all of the “stuff” one could desire. I was ashamed to share my feelings with anyone.

Kate was born in April 2012 and I didn’t seek help until January 2013. Those dark times are a fog, but I remember the “breaking point” vividly. After a night of no sleep, I walked to the train with tears streaming down my face. I was tired, hopeless and just done with living this life. Headed to work, I boarded the train and happen to run into a friend from my son’s preschool. When she gave the typical greeting that you give on a 5:40am train (nod and a smile), I broke down in tears. My friend sat with me for the 30 minute train ride, listened to how bad things really were (behind the “perfect exterior” of my demeanor at social events), held my hand and told me it would be okay. I have to be honest – I didn’t believe her. How could I ever feel “normal” again?

As I walked to work, I decided that I needed to focus on getting better. I didn’t know how, but I couldn’t keep living life like this. With the help of my supportive husband and amazing colleague (whose wife had also been hit hard by PPD), I was able to close down my trading positions so I could focus on staying home and feeling better.

But what is the path to feeling better? It’s different for each person. Some need talk therapy, some need medication, some need a more aggressive plan.

In order to craft a plan that worked for me, my husband reached out to Evanston North Shore’s postpartum hotline. It is an incredible resource, a free hotline staffed by professionals that help you devise an actionable plan for feeling better. You can call with anything from “My baby is colicky, and I am so frustrated and strung out with the lack of sleep” to “I am hopeless and suicidal,” and everything in between. They assess the situation, listen to your availability for doctor appointments, take down your insurance information and make the appointments for you. When you are feeling low, these are things that you can’t muster up the energy to do for yourself.

What worked for me was entering Evanston North Shore Hospital’s “Intensive Outpatient Program.” Focusing on my health became my new job. Every weekday, I went to the hospital from 9am to 3pm for a combination of group therapy, 1:1 sessions with my psychiatrist, and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) workshops. The program participants were from all walks of life, but most were bound by one common bond: CHANGE can be unsettling, and adjustment can be difficult, especially if you don’t have the right “tools in your toolbox.”

I participated in the Intensive Outpatient Program for six weeks, then took a few months off before returning to work (in a different, less intensive capacity). I follow up with my psychiatrist every few months, and saw a therapist on a weekly basis for about a year. I am proud to say that I not only survived PPD, but I thrived, in a way. I discovered new ways to care for myself (reframing my expectations, making exercise a priority) and have a new appreciation for building a “tribe” of supportive people who can lift each other up when life gets tough.

What can you do if you suspect you are suffering from PPD?

Seek professional health. My saving grace was NorthShore’s Perinatal Depression Program, whose mission is to identify and support families at risk for perinatal depression. Their free, confidential hotline is available 24-hours a day to patients and their families for information and support. The hotline’s number is 866.364.MOMS (866.364.6667).

Acknowledge that PPD is real, can manifest itself in many ways (sadness, anxiety, anger, etc) and can escalate quickly if you do not address the situation.

Devise a self-care plan that works for you. You cannot care for others if you do not care for yourself. Build in time for therapy sessions, exercise, and whatever else fills your soul. Enlist the help of your family, friends and/or babysitters to make this a non-negotiable part of your family’s schedule.

Willpower is a fragile thing. Subjected to stress, sleep deprivation, or simple visual triggers, it disappears and our goals suffer in the face of reality.

You too have likely experienced this, along with a subsequent dose of guilt— a meltdown from your child turns into a glass of wine (or two or three) after bedtime, a late night pint of Ben & Jerry’s, and a three-hour Netflix binge — all things that felt necessary in the moment, but all working directly against your health and fitness goals.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

You can enhance your willpower and with it, your ability to fight temptation. To do so, you’ll look outside yourself, focusing not on your mental state, but on controlling your environment and your reaction to temptation, setting up a system that takes full advantage of the psychology of willpower.

Read on for your four-step guide on how to enhance your willpower.

Step 1: State Your Willpower Goal in Writing

The first step to maintaining willpower in the face of temptation is to clearly define what you’re trying to achieve. Too often, our goals are poorly defined and therefore unachievable. To begin, grab a pen and a piece of paper. (All the moms participating in AMC’s 60-Day Fitness Challenge wrote down their specific goals down last week.)

First, write down your general goal. For example, if I’m attempting to give up desserts, I’ll write exactly that at the top of the page: “Quit eating desserts.”

Next, write down exactly what this means. In my case, “No cookies, cakes, chocolate or treats of any kind at any time, regardless of circumstance.”

Finally, ascribe a timeframe to the goal. Keep in mind that taking small steps will aid your ability to maintain progress, so write something like: “I’ll begin by not eating any desserts at all for two weeks.”

Now, we’ve defined exactly what “maintaining willpower” means, added a timeframe to the effort, and written it down, giving tangible form to what was formerly an abstract goal. The act of writing makes the goal “real,” and therefore something you’re more likely to accomplish.

Step 2: Recognize Your Triggers

Next, recognize (and record) the circumstances that erode your willpower. These may include lack of sleep, conflict, stress, or simple physical temptation (such as the presence of candy or alcohol). When your triggers are present, you’re more likely to give in and subvert your plan.

On your goal sheet, write down each trigger. In the case of my dessert goal, it might look like this: “Triggers for dessert consumption: having my favorite chocolate in the house, going to parties, work/life stress, winding down in the evening.”

By acknowledging and writing down these triggers, I become more aware of their presence in my life. Combined with step three, this awareness enhances my ability to fight temptation in the moments when I’ll be most likely to trip up.

Step 3: Create Replacement Behaviors

For each trigger, list multiple behaviors that could replace the non-desired behavior. In my example, I would avoid eating sugar in the presence of my triggers by engaging in the following replacement behaviors instead:

Having multiple replacement behaviors for each trigger is important. It enables you to select the replacement that is most likely to work in any given circumstance. For instance, I may not be able to avoid bringing my kids to a birthday party, but I can eat before going to the party and focus on meeting and connecting with new people.

There is a psychological power in the replacement behavior. Instead of focusing on what you’re not going to do, you can focus on what you are going to do. This will give you an immediate sense of control as well as a different set of emotions around willpower — creating pride and empowerment rather than guilt and avoidance.

Step 4: Recognize Success

Each time you engage in a replacement behavior, give yourself credit, recording your success on your paper with a hash mark or an “x.”

This act is instrumental in reinforcing your willpower. It creates a positive feedback loop — seeing your small successes in writing will encourage you to strive for additional successes, and your willpower in the moment will become willpower for the day, the week, the month, and the year.

Additionally, recording your successes gives you something to do when you get a win (rather than something not to do, as is the case with most behavior avoidance scenarios). As was the case with replacement behaviors, action becomes more satisfying than inaction, further reinforcing progress.

Putting It All Together to Build Willpower

Willpower is a fragile thing — but it doesn’t have to be. Using this system will enhance and augment your mental capacities, making your resolve more durable while strengthening your ability to accomplish your goals.

The four-step system:

Define your willpower goals

Recognize and record your triggers

Create replacement behaviors

Recognize success

The system works equally as well whether you’re trying to stop a behavior or create a new one, such as an exercise habit. All you need is any piece of paper, a pen, and a quiet moment.

Take that moment now— grab a piece of paper and give it a shot. Outline your goal, your triggers, and your replacement behaviors. Put the paper in your pocket, and be ready to record your first success. With practice, you’ll find your willpower growing and your goals accomplished, moment by moment, day by day.

Do you need additional motivation or accountability to reach your fitness goals? Let Active Moms’ Club help you be the best version of yourself. AMC provides fitness for all stages of motherhood. We offer a wide range of services to meet the unique needs of Chicago mothers: prenatal and postnatal exercise classes, one-on-one personal training, fitness challenges — and most importantly, a community of support from moms just like you!

We all know eating a healthful diet is good for our bodies. To make healthy decisions, we first have to be able to understand what nutrients contribute to a healthy diet, and second, know which foods contain those nutrients. For the former, the Dietary Guidelines offer a detailed table to help determine typical daily calorie needs. More specifically, you can estimate your caloric needs through MyPlate portal (ChooseMyPlate.gov). For the latter, aside from eating fresh fruits and vegetables, nutrients are broken down and listed on food labels — a required component of nearly all packaged foods. Here’s some tips on how to navigate daily nutrients and read a food label.

Estimated Caloric Needs Per Day by Age, Gender, and Activity Level

The estimated amounts of calories are needed to maintain calorie balance (not to lose weight). The estimates are rounded to the nearest 200 calories. An individual’s needs may be higher or lower than this average estimate. Moderately active means a lifestyle that includes physical active equivalent to walking about 1.5-3.0 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-today life. Estimate does not include women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.(Source: U.S. Dept of Agriculture, 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, www.dietaryguidelines.gov)

Recommended Macronutrient Proportioned By Age

So what does this mean? If you’re a 35 year-old moderately active women, consuming roughly 2,000 calories per day, your diet should consist of 45-65% carbohydrates, 10–35% protein, and 20—35% fat. Here’s how to determine how many grams of carbs, protein and fat you should be eating each day to maintain weight.

Remember, these are estimates. You can play with the total number of calories and percentage of nutrients to find what works best for you. On the higher end of fat intake, 35% of daily calories coming from fat is 77 grams. If your goal is weight loss, an overall caloric deficit is needed from this 2,000 calorie daily budget. That deficit could be created by expending extra energy (exericse), or by reducing caloric intake, or both. If you are breastfeeding, your caloric intake would be higher depending on how much milk you produce. If you are reducing calories and your milk supply decreases, that’s a good sign your caloric intake and/or fluid intake is too low.

Nutrition Labels

Now that you know how many macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat) you should be eating, learning how to read and understand labels can help you make healthier choices. Here are some tips for making the most of the information on the Nutrition Facts label:

Start with the serving information at the top of the label. This will tell you the size of a single serving and the total number of servings per container (package). In this example, 2/3 cup is one serving. Measure out 2/3 cup so you can visual what a serving looks like. This will help you eye-ball serving sizes in the future.

Next, check total calories per serving. Pay attention to the calories per serving and how many servings you’re really consuming if you eat the whole package. If you double the servings you eat, you double the calories and nutrients. The next section of information on a nutrition label is about the amounts of specific nutrients in the product.

The calories (230) per serving are then broken down into grams to give Total fat, Total Carbohydrates, and Protein. Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, limit saturated fat to no more than 11-13 grams, as little trans fat as possible, and no more than 1,500 mg of sodium.

The % Daily Value (DV) tells you the percentage of each nutrient in a single serving, in terms of the daily recommended amount. As a guide, if you want to consume less of a nutrient (such as saturated fat or sodium), choose foods with a lower % DV — 5 percent or less. If you want to consume more of a nutrient (such as fiber), seek foods with a higher % DV — 20 percent or more.

Here’s how to do the math to convert calories to grams:

In the example above, here is how the total calories per serving (230) are broken down into fat, carb and protein grams. Remember, 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories; 1 gram of protein = 4 calories; 1 gram of fat = 9 calories

Now add up the calories from carbs (148), protein (12) & fat (72), it will equal the total calories (230) in serving. Bare in mind, Nutrition Fact labels can have a 20% margin of error. If your goal is weight loss, always overestimate number of calories consumed, and underestimate number of calories expended.

Remember that the information shown in Nutrition Facts food label panels are based on 2,000 calories a day. You may need to consume less or more than 2,000 calories depending upon your age, gender, activity level, and whether you’re trying to lose, gain or maintain your weight.

Today is World Sleep Day. As parents we know how critical sleep is for ourselves and our little ones. Did you know naps have been shown to be more effective (and cheaper) than coffee or energy drinks? Before you pull out your pillow, check out these useful tips and facts from our friends at Casper. Casper is the sleep startup that created the perfect mattress, sheets and pillow for everyone to use. Hmm, I’m intrigued. Have a read, then go catch some shut eye.